They Rise We Fall
by Foolish Haze
Summary: A plague has broken out in Zoobury. Prey live in fear of Predators, not knowing if they will be safe for long. Our main protagonist, Aidan, a white feline with black hair, stripes, and blue eyes, lived through hell in every moment in his life. How much more will he take?
1. Prologue

**They Rise We Fall**

Every single day I walk pass the skulls of the remaining eaten corpses and every single day I'm reminded of the dread we will face again. The kind of dread that cause you to wake up screaming in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Blood curdling, spine chilling screams echo in your head, the flashbacks of your loved ones and/or people being devoured in front of you, the nausea that comes when seeing fur and flesh begin ripped off by a struggling corpse, makes you wonder when will the nightmare end. I sometimes wish that within my nightmares I could escape it all. I could just escape it all in one dream, it would be the end of it all. I can't. No one can. There's no escaping for what has come to us. How the hell could we stand up to these monsters? They aren't like us anymore. They're cannibals. They're dangerous. They're...

Predators.

I remember watching the news before this happened. I remember seeing the hidden fear inside the News Reporter's eyes as he spoke about a plague breaking out in Zoobury City. The virus called...The Red Spasm. Predators were the ones who were most likely of getting the virus. I'm a predator. I honestly don't know how I managed to live this long without catching the virus. All I remember was the sound of screaming, the sight of my family being torn apart by infected predators as I hid in the closet, and the feeling of me not being able to help any of them. That was it. Here I am living alone in a city that was once Zoobury but a very strict city with a very strict curfew ruled by a very strict replaced mayor. Basically a strict life I'm living in. I watched through my boarded window as Plague Soldiers roam the city, yelling at anyone they could find to get in their homes immediately. Infected Predators who hunt only at night such as Coyotes, Wolves, and Cougar break into the city and try to find anyone, who dared to break their curfew rule, and devour them leaving only a pool of dry blood. Every night I hear gunshots from outside of my apartment, along with blood filled screaming. I **never** feel safe. Any civilian who survives the predator attack the next morning are killed instantly; bodies will be dumped outside of town to keep the Red Spasm Predators busy for a bit. But never for long.

I often cry myself to sleep. Just hearing the gunshots, screaming, the sound of blood being spilled to the hard concrete, one day that will be me. Prey live in fear of Predators who aren't infected. I'm one of those predators. Whenever someone who's a prey see me, they immediately turn to the other direction, avoid eye contact, clench their hidden weapons into their belongings, or just...wait. I remember the last of my friend who's a prey once said to me, when his mother died, a couple of months ago...

"Aidan...You're a good guy and...I trust you right? If we are friends...you stay away from me and my family. Alright?"

I never heard of him again after that. I wonder if there's really hope for us all. I hope they'll one day find a cure for the Red Spasm Predators and end this hell once and for all. I know I'm not the only one thinking this. But, that's not the case.

This is my story.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The sun slowly rose in our dull town. Our mayor announced us to get up and enjoy our morning, like always, he sounded happy, cheerful, and carefree. It's all fake, but I'm used to it. I got out of bed and put some clothes on. As I did, I watched Plague Soldiers ride away in tanks while civilians exit their homes, looking tired. We all needed to get up and get breakfast before they were all gone. More food would have to be shipped here by helicopter tomorrow. I exited my apartment and walked with civilians to the church, which is now a food giveaway. The rule was one food item per person. No one was allowed to have more than one food item. If we were caught stealing, we'd be punished and be sent outside of town to be fed by Red Spasm Predators. No one dared to steal food. We had to wait in long lines just to get food and water. Food was just a tasteless muffin and water was just a small warm water bottle. It's small, yet satisfying. As soon as I got my food and water, I placed it into my jacket pocket. I then heard yelling from a couple of lines down to my left. Turning my head, I saw someone begging for an extra piece of muffin. I didn't think too much of it. This is what I got used to. Many people watched and shook their heads in disappointment. Once I got a clear view of who the begging animal was, I was surprised to see a brown cat begging for extra food. It's usually the prey who wants extra piece of food. Three Plague Soldiers pushed him to the ground and yelled at him to get off. It went like this...

"Come on! J-just let me have another piece of food for my sister!"

"No! You know the rules! One food item per person! Your sister would have to come and get it herself if you want her to eat!"

"You don't understand! She can't! She..."

The brown cat stopped there. He sniffed and I could see he was on the verge of breaking down in tears. He was about to pick up his muffin he dropped, until a Plague Soldier stepped on it. "You brought this on yourself! You KNOW what happens when you try to steal food!" he yelled.

"I-I wasn't trying to steal!"

"Do you **want** to be fed by predators such as yourself!?"

"N-No I-"

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! You're lucky we're not going to apprehend you here and now. GO!"

I watched the feline run off down the street, moving animals out of his way and vanish into the distance. I was still standing in line, a plague soldier handed me another piece of muffin and water. "Here you go sir." she said. I guess she didn't see me get food already. I thought about the brown cat. I honestly felt sorry for him. I'm a dangerously nice guy, I liked making people feel better.

Pathetic huh?

I took it and thanked her. Without making any eye contact with any civilians, I went on my way down the street. I looked around for any sign for the brown cat. I passed my house, in search of him. I saw him run straight ahead and if I'm lucky, I could run into him.

Minutes passed and I still didn't find him. I sighed and started to head my way back home. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. A part of me was saying that he might be lying about his sister. But the sight of him begging for another piece of food and the sound of his voice cracking from trying not to cry is too believable. I walked home, looking up at the sky to see the cloudy morning sky. Then, I heard it. Soft sobbing coming from an alley way. Looking both ways to make sure no one was watching I walked into the alley way. The sobbing got a bit louder each step I took. I looked around carefully in search of any movement. Eventually, I found him. He was crying behind an empty garbage can. He was completely overwhelmed with grief, he doesn't seem to know that I was standing behind him. I didn't want to startle him. So I walked closer to him. "Uhh...hey." I responded. The brown feline's ears perked up and he slowly turned around. He saw me and a look of relief on his face. "O-oh...hi..." he responded. I sat down next to him and pulled out the muffin and water bottle. "Here," I said to him. "This is for your sister right?" "Oh! Y-yes! Thank you! H-how did you get more?" he responded.

"A Plague Soldier gave me more by mistake. I don't have any family members to feed so...Hehehe."

"Thank you so much. I...must've caused a lot of trouble haven't I?"

"Kinda."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. My name is Aidan. What's yours?"

"Ryan. Nice to meet you."

Ryan gave me a warm smile. I took out another muffin and we walked out of the alley. Ryan told me about himself as well as I did to him. Ryan lost his parents, but has been taking care of his little sister as best he could. Finding food for the both of them have been a problem for him. Turns out his sister had been sick even before the Red Spasm Virus broke out. Ryan kept it a secret from Plague Soldiers. If he told them that his sister is sick, the Plague Soldiers will instantly kill her.

"Damn. I'm sorry dude." Ryan commented as soon as I finished my story. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." I replied, drinking water. We made our way to his apartment. We walked in, walked up the stairs, and entered his apartment door. I saw that the apartment was...a mess. I stepped over empty water bottles and dirty clothes. I followed Ryan into a room, supposedly where his sister is. "Emily?" Ryan called, turning to the couch. Ryan removed some blankets and I saw a small kitten lying on the couch. She had several blankets wrapped onto her and she looked weak. Emily opened her eyes and saw Ryan. She coughed a bit and tried to say something. Ryan hands her water to get her to stop talking. "Don't talk. Please? Here, drink your water." Ryan responded. The young kitten sat up slowly and drank most of the water given to her. "I'm...surprised she's not feeling hot under all those blankets. And due to the warm weather lately, I figured that she wouldn't need all those blankets," I said to Ryan. "Why's that?" "That's the thing..." Ryan started.

"Emily keeps complaining about being cold. I try to warm her up anyway I can, but she's not feeling any warmer no matter how many blankets I give her or how many windows I open up. I...don't know what's wrong with her, she's been like this since this plague broke out. I can't get anyone to help me. I even have to leave her on her own just to find medicine for her. She's too weak to walk on her two legs..."

I grew puzzled. "Wait...you just met me. Why tell me?" I asked. "To be honest...I'm not sure myself." Ryan answered. "I feel like I should trust you. You look like the type of guy to keep secrets."

"Just because you think I look like something you think doesn't mean I am."

"I know, but it's like what you did."

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you help me? You hardly know me."

I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it. He...made a pretty valid point. Once he found that I couldn't answer his question, he grinned. "See? We're both willing to help each other out." I smiled back. "Your secret is safe with me." Emily lied back down and shut her eyes. I could see that she's sweating and shivering at the same time. It's like her sweat is causing her to get cold. Ryan wipes the sweat off with a blanket and he sat down in front of his sister. I sat down next to him and looked outside.

The warm breeze blew, filling Ryan's apartment room through the open windows. Emily had fallen asleep and Ryan was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. It's been two hours since I was invited in Ryan's apartment and it's been an hour of no talking. I turned to Ryan, only to see him fast asleep. I sighed, getting up to leave. There's no reason why I should stay at someone's apartment when everyone is asleep. So, I went home. I do wonder what's wrong with Emily, and I hope she gets better soon.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I got home safely and in time for curfew. I wanted to go to bed as soon as I could. When I arrived to my apartment door, I ran into my neighbor. His name was Pete. Pete and I hardly talk and whenever we do, the conversation would last about a minute or so. Pete lived alone like I did, but he was a bunny. When I saw him, he was scratching his body profusely. He grunted in pain a bit and kept scratching his arms, eyes, legs, and face. I never seen him like this before and I couldn't help but worry a little. "Uh...Pete? Everything alright?" I asked. "Y-yeah yeah." Pete quickly answered. "I'm fine. Just...you know...mosquitoes." Tilting my head a little, I could see red marks on his face and his eyes looked bloodshot. He twitched and winced in pain whenever he stopped scratching his face. His fur looked like it was falling out a bit. "Pete? Are you sure you're alright?" I asked again. Pete nods and finally opens his apartment door. "U-uh huh! See you Adrian." Pete responds, walking into his apartment and slams his door. I frowned,

"Aidan..."

and walked into my apartment room.

The next morning, I followed my daily routine. The same Plague Soldier gave me extra food again, despite me seeing that I already took food. I told her I already took food, but she insisted that I should feed my friend. I honestly didn't know what to say next. So, I thanked her and made my way back to my apartment. Once I got there, I placed water bottle in my refrigerator and sat down on the couch and started eating. I suddenly heard a knock on my door, causing me to jump a bit. I never get visitors and I honestly got a bit scared. I started to wait to make sure the person at my door wasn't mistaking my door for someone else's. After about five minutes of waiting, I heard a familiar voice.

"Yo Aidan! You in here?"

I sighed in relief. It's only Ryan. I got up and opened my door. "Aidan! Hi!" he greeted. "Hey." I greeted back. I let him in and he looks around. "Wow. Your place is bigger than mine," he commented. He turned to my fridge and walks to it, tilting his head in curiosity. "Does it...work?" he asked, opening it. "Well. It used to be broken, but I fixed it." I answered. Ryan's jaw dropped. "Really?! You fixed this? Are some kind of uh...umm..." Ryan paused. He started to think for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Handyman! Are you some sort of Handyman?" he finished. "Nope. It wasn't really hard," I responded.

"The compressor was damaged when I first moved here. I happened to run into another one while exploring the city dump, but the Piston Ring Sets were missing. So I replaced them with a metal ring I found that were similar to the Piston Ring-"

"Aaaaaaaa you're making my head spin with these big words dude!"

Ryan interrupted, holding his head and his eyes turned dizzy swirls. Shaking his head to regain himself, he rubbed his head. "Jeez! You ARE a handyman!" he responded. I started to frown, "I'm not a-"

"You can fix all kinds of stuff! You're a real... **handy** cat you know that?"

"...Was that supposed to be a pun?"

"Yep."

"That was bad."

I started to snicker at Ryan's bad pun. I fought the urge to laugh. "You sure that was bad?" Ryan smirked. "'Cause I got a **hand** ful of puns for you."

"No more...!"

"I broke my finger the other day...but on **the other hand** I was fine."

"Oh god..."

"My best friend's name was **Hand** thony. He had a brother named **Hand** rew. He also had a girlfriend named **Hand** riana. He also had a pet goat he couldn't take care of. His responsibility **goat** out of **hand**.

I started to chortle. I was on the verge of laughing my butt off. "You know you can't **hand** le my puns, Aidan." Ryan finished. I started to burst out laughing as well as Ryan. I don't even like puns but, Ryan's puns made me feel...happy. I hadn't felt happy in a long time before this happened. I wiped a tear that was forming in my eye and sighed. I took out the extra food I had and gave it to Ryan. "Here, does your sister need more food?" I asked. Ryan shook his head. "No. I gave her mine right before she slept again." he answered, taking the muffin and opened it. "I haven't eaten yet. I'm starving!" Ryan took a huge bite of the muffin. I placed his water bottle in my fridge. "Is your sister getting any better?"

"Mmm! About that..."

Ryan swallowed his food and continued.

"She finally got warm and she's not feeling cold anymore. I'm so relieved. I just kept on giving her water, food, blankets, and air."

Ryan had a look of relieved on his face. "Man...I'm so happy that my sister is doing well again." he smiled. "If my parents were here now..." I looked at him. Ryan had a sadden look on his face again. He shook his head and wiped tears that were forming in his eyes. "D-don't worry. I'm fine." Ryan assured. "I'm sure they're proud of me." "If you say so...listen, I'm gonna go take a shower real quick. Just knock if you need anything." I said, making my way down the hall. Ryan gave out a loud gasp. "Your shower works!?" he asked excitedly with big sparkly green eyes. "Barely." I answered, walking into the bathroom. I turned to my bathroom shower. It's been broken for a long time. The faucet doesn't work and the Shower Head and Arm is bent up. The only thing that works is my sink. Usually I fill two buckets of water with it, get in the tub, and bathe. It helps a little, but as much as I hate it, its what I have to do to take care of myself.

In the middle of bathing myself, I heard Ryan scream hysterically. I jumped and yelled, "Ryan!? What happened!?" I heard his voice in my living room. "Your TV works too!? You really ARE a handyman!"

Oh for the love of Christ...

Ryan left hours later and I spent the next couple of hours figuring out how to fix my shower, since I was sick of bathing with two buckets by my side. Once I couldn't figure that out, I got dressed and went out. I walked down the street and wandered around Zoobury City. Prey animals eyed me and gave me looks. Like any moment I would suddenly go insane and attack everyone around me. Other predators...no, all predators are given that look of fear once in a while. I feel like the balance of prey and predator is falling apart drastically. Thanks to this Red Spasm Virus going on. I sighed and watched a couple of Plague Soldiers arm wrestle to entertain themselves. Must be nice being a Plague Soldier. You get to yell at people without anyone stopping you, eat a buffet of food every single day, live in a well secured area away from citizens, and get surrounded by friends every single day. I don't hate the Plague Soldiers or anything. They're only doing their jobs, they're scared like we are. The percentage of Plague Soldiers are fifty percent. They, understandably, will attack any predator citizen who attacks prey or other predators.

Night fell pretty quickly. I was already in bed, but couldn't sleep. Not by the loud gunshots outside and the sound of Red Spasm Predators breaking through our wall to attack anyone who missed curfew. No, I was kept awake by Pete's loud grunting and yelling next door. The bunny hadn't stopped making a hell of a noise when I got back. This has been going on **hours**. I started to lose my cool. I had enough and got out of bed. Opening my door, I moved to Pete's door and knocked.

"Pete! Shut the hell up! It's late! Go to bed!" I yelled.

That's when the banging started. Pete started to violently bang on the walls, surely to cause a small hole into one. I heard loud crashing from inside his apartment along the sound of sobbing. Something wasn't right. I was about to find a nearby Plague Soldier to report the problem, but I knew I would get in trouble for getting out of my apartment room. So, I opened Pete's door. Finding that the door wasn't locked, I looked around his apartment and immediately was greeted by the smell of vomit. I fought myself to not regurgitate and walked inside. "P-pete? Are you alright?" I asked, still trying not to vomit and looking around. The walls were covered in scratch marks, punch marks, and...blood. Most of Pete's fur was all over the floor and his home was completely trashed. I was startled by the bathroom door opening quickly. Turning around, I watched in complete disbelief as Pete walked out of his bathroom. He was panting heavily, deep scratch wounds all over his face, and his eyes are dangerously bloodshot. They're so red that blood is leaking out of his tear ducts. His clothes are ripped from scratch marks and his claws are sharp. It soon hit me, Pete has been scratching his itch marks and now he's become...a Red Spasm Predator. Pete's head was twitching and he turned his head to see me. "P-p...pete?" I asked, feeling myself get pale and sick at the same time. "A...Aidan. It's s-so good to see you..." Pete responded in a disturbingly friendly tone. I shook my head. How? Pete hasn't been in contact with a Red Spasm Predator right? Pete starts walking towards me. "Could you help...help me out? I'm so...hungry...I'm so...itchy...I think...I'm sick." He said, dragging his claws to the wall to make a painful, loud, scratching noise. I held my ears and watched him get closer and closer. "Y-you're a good boy...right? You c-can help me..." Pete laughed.

I thought I was dreaming somehow. I thought I passed out on my bed a long time ago and now I'm having this awful nightmare. I felt myself tremble and ears drop in complete utter fear. Pete is now a few feet to me. "I've been eating...and eating...and eating...but...it's not enough. My hunger isn't yet satisfied..." Pete continued, head and eye twitching violently.

"I've been thinking...to eat another animal. Prey like me...aren't really made for being a cannibal. S-so...since I'm dangerously hungry...I thought...'Why not?' I don't care which, Prey, Predator, I don't fucking care...I just want to **be full again.** "

That's it. I made a run for it to the door. I could hear Pete laughing and running after me. I've never been so scared in my life. I felt my adrenaline pump to the max as I screamed for help. The scrapping sound of Pete's claws to the floor is something I won't forget. I made my way downstairs and I literally burst out of the doors, screaming for any Plague Soldiers to help me. I was then pounced on my the insane rabbit. Pete held both of my arms down and showed me his white, pointed, prey rabbit teeth. I didn't want to die like this. I shut my eyes and waited for Pete to rip me apart until-

 _ **BANG!**_

Pete was off of me and I saw him lie next to me, a gunshot wound to the head. It was over, the nightmare was over. I got up with trembling feet and turned my head. Plague Soldiers ran to me with guns in their hands. "Are you alright? Did he bite you?" one asked. I shook my head no. "What happened exactly?" the other asked. I looked down and started to hyperventilate. Just remembering it is making me more and more terrified.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Citizens of Zoobury heard about the accident yesterday and freaked out. Prey are more terrified than ever. They don't know who's sick and who's not, they don't know why or how this happened, and they don't know if they're the ones who's gonna be next to become a monster. It got so bad that prey and predator are attacking each other in the streets. All because a bunny turned into a Red Spasm Predator. Things aren't the same now; the rules have gotten stricter. One was if anyone don't come out of their homes when the morning announcements come on, they're considered a Red Spasm Predator and thrown out of town where the other Red Spasm Predators are. I've been getting up earlier and I'm seeing Plague Soldiers break into people's houses just to make sure no one was home. I've found my apartment door kicked down and it couldn't be replaced.

God damn it all.

I've had nightmares just looking at my exposed door; welcoming the darkness as it swallows me in a void of nothingness. I've always hated the dark, for obvious reasons. Now for every night, I curl up in a ball and pray that no one will even look inside or worse. Thoughts ran into my head. How did this happen? Pete wasn't bit was he? Who can I trust and who can't I? Weeks later I've gotten used to my exposed apartment room and planned to try to fix it.

The next few days are more duller and duller. No one was giving me or any predator looks and no one bothered to fight anyone. No one stayed in their apartments just to skip breakfast. Because of that, Plague Soldiers stopped breaking in homes. But there have been reports of prey getting the virus more than predators, according to the mayor. Keep in mind, our mayor is a mouse. His name is Mayor Eli. He's smaller than his assistant mayor, who's a predator. I don't recall his name because he doesn't come out of the Mayor's Property much.

I was in the middle of a break from fixing my door when Ryan came over, panting hard and sweating a little. "AIDAN!" he yelled between breaths. "I..NEED YOUR...HELP! NOW!" I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What? What's wrong?" I asked, putting away my water bottles I collected into the fridge. Ryan shook his head, seemingly not believing what he's going to say. "It's Emily. My sister!" he responded. My eyes widen and I dropped my lunch. "What...?"

We arrived back at Ryan's apartment, only to see Emily scratching her arms and legs violently. Just like Pete, she had red marks on her face and her eyes are bloodshot. She's...got it. Emily whined and cried, complaining about the itchiness on her body. "Ryaaaan...it hurts..." she whimpered. "Let's try the water again! Alright?" Ryan quickly said to his sibling. He hands her a water bottle and Emily drinks it all. I didn't want to scare neither of them. I didn't want to break Ryan's heart than it already is. He knows about Pete, he knows about the consequences of not getting outside of his apartment, and he knows what will happen if he kept a sick predator a secret from everyone. "Ryan..." I started, hesitating a little. Ryan didn't lift his head to face me. "Emily she-"

"Don't..."

Ryan interrupted. He got up, not turning his back to me. "Don't say it...please." he said again. I could see the tears forming in his eyes and clenched his fists. "Please don't tell me to bring my sister to the Plague Soldiers!" he finished, turning around to face me. His green eyes looked deep into mine and he cried a little.

"She's all I have left! If I lose her...I don't know...how to survive on my own! I can't! I c-can't lose Emily! Please Aidan! Don't make me turn my sister in please please!"

Ryan threw himself to me, hugging me tightly and cried openly into my shirt. I was speechless. The brown feline was sobbing into me and all I could do was think. How could I persuade Ryan to get his sister help? I don't know. I ended up letting these words escape my mouth,

"Ryan. You have to get Emily help or she'll turn. I know this is hard for you. I know this is breaking your heart, but what will your parents want you to do right now?"

Ryan just cried harder and held me tightly. Well that didn't work at all.

It took him a moment to finally say something after he was done getting my entire shoulder wet. "I c-can't..." he replied. " I can't...she's my sister...I don't want to lose her...I can't!" Ryan lets go of me and cried openly. Emily sees her brother crying and reached out for him. "Ryan..." she croaked. I quickly pulled Ryan away from her. Afraid that Ryan might get the virus from touching his sister, I pulled Ryan away from Emily. "Listen," I said to him. "Do NOT touch her! We don't know how she got it. It's better to get help!" "THEY'LL KILL HER!" Ryan shouts in agony yet angrily.

Silence.

"I think you should go." Ryan sniffed. I was surprised to hear that from him. I excepted him to _understand_ what's going on with his sister right now. "What?" I responded. "Leave!" he repeated. "I wanted your help but this is how you help me!? Convince me to turn my sister in to those Plague Fuckers!? Some friend you are!"

"The hell are you saying!? I AM trying to help you! You don't understa-"

"No **YOU** don't understand! She's my sister! She's family! She's Emily! She's only eleven years old! She NEEDS her big brother to be by her side and take care of her! We need each other! I looked at mom...I looked at her straight into her dying eyes and told her I would do everything I can to keep Emily safe. She smiled as she took her last breath, COUNTING on me. I'll let her down if Emily dies...I can't...I have to keep trying! Just...get out of my house..."

"Ry-"

"GO!"

* * *

"Mother fucking stupid son of a..."

I angrily growled. There's no way Ryan would listen to me. There HAS to be a way for me to get him to listen. "What the fuck could I do?" I said to myself. "More people are getting sick and turning into Red Spasm freaks before we know it. How can I-"

Not looking where I was going, I suddenly bumped into someone. I apologized and looked at the person I bumped into. A Plague Soldier. Fucking hell. "Oh. Don't worry about it. It's alright." she said. I recognized the Plague Soldier's voice. "Hey...you're the soldier who gave me extra food." I responded, a bit surprised. I watched her remove her helmet and locks of long white hair freely escaped out of it. She's a chipmunk, surprisingly a bit taller than me. "A...prey Plague Soldier?" I asked, a bit surprised. The plague soldier chuckled a little. "Uh...hey! My name is Zoey." she responded. "Aidan. Nice to meet you." I responded back. "How's your friend doing? Well?" Zoey asked, starting a conversation. "Ryan?" I responded. Instead of answering, I looked down. Remembering the argument I had with him I responded,

"Fine. Thanks."

"Great. After what's been going on lately, glad to hear that your friend is alright." Zoey starts watching citizens walk by. "We're not sure how these predator and prey animals are getting the virus, we're actually scared too..." I looked at Zoey. She looks back at me. "Oh! U-uh...if you're careful, you won't get the virus. Alright?" she adds. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Right..."

I watched her walk away from me while putting her helmet back on. I began want to know how these people are getting the virus. I want to know if these plague soldiers are hiding anything from us. There's a lab in The City Hall. I can find answers there. I'm sure it's heavily guarded and If I'm careful, I won't get caught. I know what you're going to say...'Aidan you're dumb as hell.' But what would you do if everyone around you is dying each day and your friend isn't listening to a word you say? To do this...I have to skip curfew. Red Spasm Predators will be roaming around the streets and some of them can see well in the dark. I'm a predator myself and I can see in the dark, but not as well as the other feline predators. Damn...this is going to be hard. I just hope I get a shred of luck of this. After I finished that thought, I ran into someone again. Well...he ran into me. A white brown striped feline scowled at me and told me to watch the hell I'm going. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I arrived home and got ready. I bathed more than usual because if you smell like you haven't showered in weeks, Red Spasm predators will think it's a decaying body and will immediately find the source of the scent. I also gathered objects such as rocks for distractions. I also fixed a voice recorder to gather proof once I show Ryan. Once I finished, I started to wait. Part of me was saying I shouldn't do this while the other part was saying I should. I hesitated for hours and hours. I wasn't so sure if I should even sneak around inside of the City Hall. Screw it. I'm doing this for Ryan. I just hope Emily doesn't turn tomorrow...

* * *

Night fell and Plague Soldiers ordered everyone to get into their homes. Everyone except me. I hid inside an empty crate in an alleyway near my apartment. I waited for a good half hour before coming out. It was dark, just like I thought it would be. I could see my surroundings just fine so I didn't have a problem. I moved out of my hiding place and moved down the dark street. I heard footsteps nearby and I frantically looked around to hide. Finding a hiding spot behind a dark stairwell, I spotted two Plague Soldiers walking by. They spoke to one another and I heard the conversation clearly.

"Can't believe I do this bullshit every night."

"Calm down, Henry. The sooner they find the cure for the bug bite the better."

"Bug bite my ass. My life is on the line here! I'm here shooting these crazy ass predators protecting these lazy scumbags who can't trust us to do what?! Nothing!?"

"I agree. They're scared."

"So am I. My feelings suddenly don't matter now?"

The first plague soldier spots a red spasm cub biting on the strong metal gate that surrounds Zoobury. Flashing his flashlight in its face, it growls and tries to bite him. "Poor kid. Look at him." The plague soldier said, watching the little rabid cub squeeze through the bars. He aims his gun at the cub's head and fired. My ears rang from the gunshot and I grew a disturbed. "Henry. It's alright." The second Plague Soldier gently said, placing his hand on his partner's shoulder. He removed his helmet and he faced the second soldier. He, too, removed his helmet and he looks at him. "James..."

Before I knew it, I heard a deep growl from above the both of them. The mother of the deceased cub growls at the both of them and, with one bite, rips Henry's head off. I covered my mouth in horror to see blood squirt everywhere. I heard James scream bloody murder as he fires nonstop at the Red Spasm Mother Bear. She didn't as much flinch of the bullets entering her body and she roared loudly. I shut my eyes knowing what's coming next. All I heard was screaming, the sound of bones snapping and crunching, and several ripping sounds coming from James's body. Once I looked, I saw the mother bear eating both of the corpses.

What has my world come to?

I needed to distract her. City Hall is up ahead and I can't hide forever. I picked up one rock and threw it behind me. The red spasm bear quickly turned to that direction and sprinted to it. "Jesus..." I sighed, getting out of my hiding spot and started walking. Walking past the two deceased plague soldiers, I continued to sneak through the dark street. I found myself thinking about the conversation they had. "Bug bite...? Is an insect causing this?" I thought. I kept moving, hiding from Plague Soldiers from time to time. The strange thing was that I didn't run into any Red Spasm Predators. But I didn't let my guard down. I kept moving. As soon as I crossed the street, I heard a deep growl from afar. There were no Plague Soldiers around and I didn't see any proper hiding places. The only way I could hide was in an alley way. Without hesitation I ran into the alley, keeping my mouth shut. I heard the pattering of feet get closer and closer behind me. I heard soft growling and snarling. I turned to my left to see a shadow of a large coyote.

Shit, I hate coyotes...

I shut my eyes and tried to calm myself. I can hear the sniffing of the red spasm coyote turn to me. It growled once it got my scent. There was no way of outrunning this canine. I tosses a rock at the garbage can away from me to make a loud

 _ **BANG**_

noise. The coyote jumped slightly and barked to that direction. I backed away deeper and deeper into the alley, hoping there's a way to go around him. All of a sudden, two hands grabbed ahold of my face and covered my mouth. Two muscular arms hoist me up and I let out muffled screaming. Then,

"Shhhh! Shut up!"

A female voice harshly said. I couldn't see a thing and I found myself shaking in fear. Have I been caught?

* * *

What felt like five minutes later, I was dropped to the ground and a flashlight shined directly into my eyes. "Start talking. Who the hell are you?" a male voice growled. I looked to see the same cat I bumped into. He has thick brown hair and has piercing blue eyes that locked mine. I blinked, "U-uh..who are-"

"WHO the hell are you!?"

A gray and white cat snapped. I looked at her. She wore her long white hair in a braid and had light blue eyes. She also wore blue bow on her neck. I looked at the figure in front of me who hadn't said anything yet. He was large, muscular...bunny? "I-I'm...Aidan." I finally answered, stuttering. I looked around to see that we were in a warehouse I've never seen before. "What were you doing out of your apartment? You KNOW you're not allowed to be outside during curfew." The muscular bunny snapped. I tilt my head a bit in confusion. "I should be asking you three that. Who are you?" I asked. All three of them looked at one another. "Well...he's not a plague soldier." the gothic feline said, flipping her bangs out of her face. Each of them introduced one another.

"Lucy."

"Nathan."

"...Ugh. Nick."

Nathan holds his hand out to me. "Sorry about that. These two cats get a bit excited to see someone who isn't afraid to venture out during curfew." "Huh? You guys are doing this too?" I asked, taking his hand and helped me up. "It's not the first time." Nick answered, still glaring at me. "We hide here after from those fuckers." "What did they do to you?" I asked, a bit surprised of his attitude.

*Silence*

"It's better if we show you. Get ready." Nathan finally answered. I nodded without asking any further questions. Are these three somehow linked to what's been going on?


End file.
